The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Pulse Check project conducts semiannual telephone discussions with up to 80 epidemiologists, ethnographers, law enforcement officials, and methadone and non-methadone treatment providers from 20 sites across the country. During 75 such discussions between November 2001 and January 2002, the majority of sources reported that overall, when comparing spring and fall 2001, they believe their communities' drug problem to be very serious but stable. The situation is characterized by several key features: Heroin has surpassed crack as the drug associated with the most serious consequences, with continuing increases among younger populations and shifts into suburban areas; crack use continues to level off, but women remain more likely to use crack than any other illicit drug except "ecstasy"; marijuana remains the most widely abused illicit drug; ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA) continues to emerge as a problem in the majority of sites; methamphetamine continues as an emerging problem in several sites; the emerging diversion and abuse problem involving OxyContin®, a high-dose formulation of the pharmaceutical opiate oxycodone, continues to intensify and is associated with serious consequences.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Executive Office of the President,
Office of National Drug Control PolicyI have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.Relationship: Contract Number 282-98-0011, Task Order 10